


Change of Heart

by orphan_account



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 02:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tag for 1x16; Puck finds Kurt crying in the locker rooms, and decides to attempt to cheer him up. Because, well, they're sort-of friends... right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change of Heart

Puck ran a hand over his short mohawk, hoisting his bag further up his shoulder as he headed towards the locker rooms, planning to grab his stuff and then head home. School wasn't technically over yet, but… he didn't really feel like going to Math.

Passing by the showers, he froze as he heard the sound of quiet, muffled sobbing. Who the hell would be crying in the boys' locker rooms? Girls would go to their own, and none of the other guys on the team would _ever_ cry in school. Except… "Hummel." Kurt looked up, startled, his red-rimmed eyes fixing on Puck with a look of shock.

"Puck, please…" he let out another choked sob, shaking his head. "Not today. I can't handle it today." Puck had never seen his fellow Glee club member so… less-than-perfect. Kurt's hair was in disarray, his designer shirt crumpled where he'd tucked his knees to his chest, and he had dirt on his jeans from sitting on the shower floors.

"What?" Puck asked dumbly, confused for a moment. Kurt raised an eyebrow at him, another tear leaking from the corner of his eye.

"I can only assume you're here to give me a swirly, slushie facial, dumpster dive, or some combination of the three," he retorted, the quiver in his voice betraying his emotional state. Puck frowned; Kurt didn't really think that was the _only_ reason he'd talk to him, did he? Sure, he hadn't exactly been all buddy-buddy with the guy, but they had been sort-of alright with each other in Glee lately.

"Hummel, dude, I just came to get my stuff and found you in here. Shouldn't you be in class?" he said defensively.

"Free period. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to wallow in grief on my own," Kurt replied pointedly, shooting Puck a watery glare that wasn't nearly as intimidating as it was supposed to be.

"Why, what's up?" Puck asked curiously. He'd never seen Kurt show pretty much any emotion; he was practically iceman. For him to be this torn up about something, it had to be big.

"Why do you care? We're not friends, Puck," Kurt shot back, sniffing slightly to hold back another wave of tears. Puck thought for a moment; why did he care? This was Hummel.

"Sorry for being concerned. You should just be glad it's me who found you and not one of the other guys; you'd be dead meat," Puck pointed out. Kurt shot him a look that he couldn't quite figure out.

"What makes you so different, suddenly? Any other day, I'd have my head down a toilet by now." Puck felt a flare of indignation; he wasn't that bad anymore! He hadn't thrown Kurt in a dumpster all week, and hadn't slushied him in much longer!

"I'm trying to help, damn it!" Puck burst out, kicking the wall in irritation. "I can't stand it when someone cries, especially a dude."

"You could always leave," Kurt replied sharply.

"Well too bad, I'm not going to," Puck declared, sitting down opposite Kurt, his legs crossed. If Hummel was going to be a stubborn moron, then so was he.

The two sat in silence for a long moment, only broken by Kurt's occasional sniffles, before the smaller boy opened his mouth.

"My dad is bonding with Finn," he blurted. Puck looked at him, confused. He'd heard about Hummel's dad and Finn's mom, but last he heard, Finn hated the whole thing. "We went out for dinner, and they started to talk football. My dad practically ignored my existence the whole evening. I know he needs that, but… it just hurts, you know?" Puck wouldn't know; his dad had walked out on them when he was just a little kid, and his mom hadn't paid attention to him in years, other than to yell at him drunkenly.

"Why don't you, y'know, go home and talk to him? Tell him to lay off Finn a little?" Puck suggested, slightly uncomfortable. He'd never been good with the whole emotions thing. Kurt shook his head, wiping at his eyes with a handkerchief Puck recognized from having been folded in Kurt's blazer pocket all day.

"Can't. Dad and Finn are watching the basketball game. I wouldn't want to intrude," he added, the hurt clear in his tone. Puck reached out and awkwardly patted Kurt's shoulder.

"You could, uh, come back to my place if you can't face going home. It's a Thursday, my mom won't be home till Monday. I don't mind." He didn't know what possessed him to offer that, it just felt like the right thing to do. They were kind-of friends, weren't they? Well, they didn't hate each other like they used to. At least, Puck didn't think they did. He doubted Kurt would let him see him in this state if he hated him.

"What makes you think I want to come over to your place?" Kurt asked, regaining some semblance of his usual haughty nature that made Puck smile slightly.

"Because I know exactly how it feels to want an escape from home. And I'm pretty sure there's some Rocky Road ice cream in my freezer," he added with a small grin. Kurt laughed, sounding less strained than he had before.

"You drive a hard bargain, Noah Puckerman. Okay, sure. If you're sure your mom won't mind," Kurt agreed, smoothing his shirt down with his hands. Puck snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Dude, we could be fucking in the kitchen and my mom would be too wasted to care. She'll be well into her weekend bar-crawl by now," he remarked wryly. Kurt winced, but Puck shook his head. It was better not to go there. "C'mon, if we leave now we'll miss the rush," he urged, climbing to his feet. Holding out a hand to Kurt, he pulled the smaller boy to his feet, and Kurt brushed himself down. When he'd finished, he still didn't look his normal pristine self – the tear-tracks were a dead giveaway – but he looked a lot better than he had before. "My car or yours?" Puck asked, heading to his locker to grab his basketball kit.

"Yours; I had a flat this morning, I got a ride in with… with my dad," Kurt replied, choking slightly on the last words. Puck nodded silently, and the two of them left the locker room, neither saying any more on the subject.

Passing by Kurt's locker for him to get his books, Puck led his fellow Glee member out the back entrance to the school, knowing teachers usually kept an eye on the front doors. Heading to the parking lot, Puck unlocked his truck, allowing Kurt to get into the passenger seat as he slid into the driver's side. The other boy hadn't said a word since they'd left the locker room, and Puck didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Suddenly, Kurt made a move, and Puck startled as he reached into his bag, pulling out his beloved iPhone. "Need to let my dad know I won't be home for a while," he explained, his voice falsely flippant about it.

"What are you gonna tell him?" Puck asked curiously. Kurt shrugged, typing out something quickly.

"I've gone shopping with Mercedes, or something. He doesn't tend to ask when I'm doing my 'girly stuff'" he replied bitterly. Puck frowned, giving Kurt a concerned look as he turned a corner, but Kurt shrugged him off. "I'm used to it. I know he loves me, but… there are times when it's obvious he wishes his son was just like everybody else."

"Dude, I know he's your dad and everything, but fuck him. You've always been exactly who you wanna be; don't stop now just 'cause he's getting all fatherly with Finn," Puck told him firmly. Kurt gave him a surprised look, and Puck actually blushed slightly. Where had that come from?

"Thanks, I think. That was actually kind of sweet, Noah," Kurt told him with a small smile. Puck scowled, though they could both see his heart wasn't in it.

"Don't spread it around," he added warningly, but Kurt only laughed.

"Who would believe me? The infamous playboy Noah Puckerman actually being sensitive?" he joked.

"Oh, can it, Hummel," Puck retorted without any real malice. He pulled up into his driveway, cutting the engine. "Home sweet home," he muttered to himself, undoing his seatbelt. "C'mon. I might even let you pick a DVD if you're lucky," he told him, giving the boy a small smile. Kurt grinned back, looking happier than he had been back at school, and the two got out of the car, heading into the house. "It's not much," Puck began, shrugging his shoulders. The hall was a little messy, but not as bad as it could have been. There weren't any empty liquor bottles lying around, which was an improvement.

"It's nice. Cosy," Kurt replied, a hand absently fiddling with his sleeve. Puck snorted; cosy wasn't a word he'd ever heard used to describe his house.

"Whatever. C'mon, the TV is this way." Puck led Kurt into the sitting room, gesturing to the bookshelf with DVDs on it. "Because I'm feeling nice, for once, you can choose. I don't mind," he told him. He didn't know why he was being so nice to Kurt when he'd never looked twice at him before now, but he figured the guy needed it. He'd heard about the whole Finn's mom/Kurt's dad situation through Quinn, who'd heard it from Finn, and it sounded pretty rough.

"Wow, you are feeling nice. I'm impressed," Kurt remarked, turning his back to Puck, who sank down into the couch, kicking off his trainers. He half-heartedly watched Kurt browse through his DVDs, occasionally making an appreciative noise, or a noise of disdain at some of his choices. Eventually, he let out a triumphant sound and grabbed a DVD, sliding it into the player before Puck could see the case.

"Don't get used to it. What are we watching?" he asked, shifting over a little so Kurt could sit down. Kurt just grinned at him, unlacing his shoes and placing them neatly to the side.

"You'll see. Just remember you're being nice to me today." Puck was about to ask what he meant by that when the opening titles of Grease came on screen. Puck let out a quiet groan, and Kurt laughed. "Not a fan?" he asked cheekily, and Puck shot him a look.

"Been forced to watch it too many times," he explained. Kurt's smile dropped slightly.

"I can put something else on if you'd like," he started, but Puck shook his head.

"Nah, I said I'd let you pick, dude," he insisted. Kurt beamed at him, pressing play.

"Thanks, Noah. Though… are you sure you didn't hit your head or something? You're being awfully considerate, it's a little worrying-" Kurt was cut off as Puck shoved his shoulder playfully, giving him a mock-glare.

"I can go back to being a bastard, if you'd prefer?" he warned, but Kurt shook his head.

"No thanks. My dry-cleaning bills have been much less now I'm not getting slushied or thrown in a dumpster every day," he told him wryly. Puck felt something odd in his stomach, like there were stones in his gut. Guilt.

"I'm sorry, dude, I was-"

"Trying to protect your macho, badass image by pummeling the gay kid. I know," Kurt finished for him, a bitter tinge to his tone. "I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be," Puck said quietly as 'Summer Nights' began to play. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned his head to see Kurt smiling softly at him.

"You're apologizing for yourself, and I thank you for that. There's nothing you can do about Karofsky and the other guys; there's always going to be bigoted assholes who think that way. I take solace in the fact that they could never hope to look as fabulous as I do." Puck couldn't help it, he let out a snort, smiling.

"Now that sounds like the Kurt Hummel I know. You were worrying me for a minute there, getting all soppy on me." That earned him a nudge to his shoulder and a small laugh.

"Puck, you in?" a familiar female voice called, the sound of the door being shut echoing through the hall, and Kurt raised an eyebrow as Quinn poked her head in the doorway. "There you- oh. Hey Kurt, what are you doing here? Ooh, Grease," she added, catching sight of the TV.

"Hello, Quinn. Noah invited me over to watch a movie. Care to join us?" he asked politely, but the ex-Cheerio shook her head, giving Puck a slightly odd look.

"Nah. I'm beat, and my back hurts from carrying this little one around all day," she said, patting her baby bump. "I'm gonna go take a nap. That alright, Puck?"

"Yeah, fine. Your new lot of pre-natal vitamins are on the kitchen counter, take them before you head up," Puck added, craning his neck back against the couch to look at her. She gave him a smile, nodding.

"Sure. Have fun, guys," she said with a small yawn, turning to head up the stairs. Kurt turned his inquiring gaze on Puck, who shrugged.

"She moved in here after the whole Finn thing. I figured, y'know, she's still one of my best friends, and I got her into that mess. The least I could do was offer her a place to stay." He squirmed a little under the wide gaze Kurt was giving him, unable to figure out what it meant. "What?"

"You're secretly a sweet, mature, thoughtful guy under that badass façade, aren't you?" he teased, and Puck nudged his shoulder, scowling half-heartedly.

"Lies. All lies," he declared firmly. Kurt snorted.

"Whatever you say, Noah. Now shush; I love this part."

.-.-.

Puck startled out of his slight daze by the sound of 'Defying Gravity' playing, and raised an eyebrow as Kurt scowled, pulling out his iPhone. Grabbing the TV remote, Puck paused the movie – if he knew Kurt at _all_ , he knew the other boy wouldn't want to miss the next part. Even a gay kid had to appreciate that black cat suit. Kurt held the phone up to his ear, and Puck had to stifle his amusement as he heard Mercedes' loud voice come through the other end. "Alright, white boy, you wanna tell me why the hell your dad just called me askin' if you'd be home in time for dinner? You are so lucky I'm a good liar!" she announced, and Kurt groaned slightly.

"Sorry, Mercedes; I had to tell him something to explain why I wasn't coming home. I didn't think he'd question me going shopping with you. What did you tell him?" he said apologetically.

"No worries, I got you covered; I said we already ate at the mall. And listen, I don't mind coverin' for you, but warn a girl next time, okay? Where are you, anyways?" she asked curiously. Kurt glanced over to Puck, raising an eyebrow in question, and Puck nodded.

"I'm at Puck's. Thank you so much, Mercedes, you're a total sweetheart. I promise I'll send you a heads up next time," Kurt assured her.

"Puck's? Boy, you got a lot of explaining to do at school tomorrow. I'm still drivin' you in tomorrow, yeah?" she checked, and Kurt made an affirming sound.

"Please. I don't think I can stomach another car journey with dad. See you tomorrow then?" Mercedes said goodbye, and Kurt hung up, rolling his eyes. "Typical; the one day dad decides to check on me is the one day I'm not where I say I am," he muttered, more to himself than anything. "I'm sure he'll love having dinner just him and Finn. They can talk more sports," he added dryly. Puck frowned, bumping his shoulder with Kurt's.

"His loss. Only thing Finn concentrates on while eating is his food," he remarked. Kurt managed a half-hearted laugh, but still looked upset. "Wanna talk about it?" Puck offered awkwardly. Living with Quinn and her mood swings had gotten him pretty good at comforting, if he did say so himself.

"I set them up, to start with. I thought… it's stupid. You'll make fun of me," Kurt said, shaking his head.

"I won't, I promise. C'mon, it'll make you feel better," Puck urged, the movie and the cat suit ignored.

"I… I thought that if our parents moved in together, Finn and I would share a room, and… he might have a change of heart. Or orientation," Kurt confessed, his eyes fixed firmly on his knees. Puck winced; everyone knew about Kurt's crush on Finn, apart from Finn himself. He'd always felt a little sorry for the kid; Finn was the straightest guy he knew, and the most oblivious. His being friendly and nice to Kurt had to be torture on the guy.

"Now you're having second thoughts?" he presumed, choosing not to comment on how Kurt was wasting his effort on Finn.

"Oh, you have no idea. And I said to Finn we had to break them up, but… my dad's so happy, you know? I've never seen him like that, not since… my mom. I just wish he wouldn't completely ignore me over Finn." Before Puck knew what he was doing, he'd pulled Kurt into a hug, allowing the soprano to cry on his shoulder.

"He's still your dad. He still loves you. It'll work out, dude, you'll see," he said softly, rubbing Kurt's back like he did with Quinn. The two sat like that for a long moment, before Kurt eventually pulled back, wiping at his eyes.

"That never happened," he said casually, and Puck grinned.

"Of course not, princess," he agreed teasingly. "And if you ever need some space when your dad and Finn are doing their little sports thing, I'll let you in, 'kay?" Kurt smiled gratefully at him, then gestured to the TV.

"Shall we continue?" he asked, and Puck nodded, pressing play. Neither of them commented on the fact that Puck's arm was still around Kurt's shoulders, and Kurt was leaning into Puck's side a little.

.-.-.

Just as the end credits started to play, Quinn walked through the door, dressed in a pair of black and pink pyjama shorts and a grey Def Leppard hoodie that obviously belonged to Puck. "Hey, how was your nap?" Puck asked with a small smile, ignoring her raised eyebrow at their seating positions. Kurt glanced up, and attempted to move away, but Puck's arm held him in place.

"Great, thanks. Want me to start dinner?" she asked, looking towards the clock on the wall. Six thirty.

"Please. What are we having?" Puck queried.

"Pasta with tomato sauce. You staying for dinner, Kurt?" Quinn inquired with a smile.

"If it's not too much trouble," he began, only to be waved off.

"It's fine, seriously. It'll be ready in about half an hour," she told them, retreating into the kitchen.

"You guys are so domestic, it's cute. Are you… y'know?" Kurt asked tentatively. Puck looked at him in confusion, then snorted and shook his head.

"Back together? Nah, we decided we're better off friends. She needs me, with the baby and school and all. Most of her old friends aren't talking to her any more," he added, and Kurt frowned.

"At least she's got you. And the Glee club… though maybe not Finn. I can't believe I had a crush on him, what was I thinking?" he murmured. Puck raised an eyebrow.

"Had?" he clarified, and Kurt nodded.

"You made me realise there's no point in me pining over him when he's never going to return my feelings, and really I'm better off without him. Especially if there's a chance we could become step-brothers. So I'm moving on," he said firmly, holding his head up high. Puck smiled at him, the thought of Kurt not having a crush on Finn making him happy for some reason.

"Glad I could help, dude," he replied. "So what do you wanna do now? No point in starting another movie if dinner will be in a little while."

"Why don't we go give Quinn some company?" Kurt suggested. Puck nodded, releasing Kurt so he could get to his feet, then pulling the other boy up by the hand. He felt strangely cold, but put it down to the fact that he was only in a t-shirt, and Kurt had been like a human radiator.

The two wandered into the kitchen, finding Quinn at the stove with a saucepan full of pasta. "Hey, guys. What's up?" she asked brightly, and Kurt smiled back at her as he sat at the table. Quinn had changed in the past couple of months, and Kurt much preferred the person she'd become. She was actually a really nice person once you got past her walls.

"Movie's over, so we figured we'd come bug you for a bit. How's stuff?" Puck asked, forgoing the table and hopping up onto the counter behind Kurt.

"Same-old. Coach Sylvester's forcing half the squad on a starvation diet for the reporter thing. Please don't tell me she got you too, Kurt?" she asked upon seeing Kurt's guilty look.

"Well… I just need to lose a few pounds, nothing that huge," he insisted.

"Dude, you're tiny anyway, how are there any pounds to lose?" Puck interjected, raising an eyebrow at him. Kurt turned in his chair, looking appraisingly at Puck.

"Why Noah, was that a compliment?" he asked teasingly, and Puck swore he was blushing. Okay, what the hell? Noah Puckerman didn't _blush_.

"I think it was, Kurt," Quinn giggled. Kurt held a hand to his heart, pretending to swoon.

"Oh, my. Complimented by Noah Puckerman, I feel honoured," he exclaimed dramatically. Puck reached forward, messing up Kurt's already ruffled hair.

"Shut it, princess," he growled playfully, making Quinn laugh.

"How cute. No wonder there's barely any clothes in your closet, Puck; you need to squeeze yourself in there," she ribbed. Puck felt his cheeks grow hotter, and groaned.

"If you didn't have a pan of boiling water I would so be tickling you to death right now," he informed her, and Kurt snorted.

"Tickling, oh wow, so manly," he said sarcastically. Puck hopped off the counter, grinning wickedly at Kurt.

"You, however, have no defense," he told him simply. The next thing Kurt knew, he was being tickle-attacked by Noah Puckerman. Was this some messed up dream?

"Mercy, mercy!" he cried, squirming away from Puck's dancing fingers while trying not to fall out of his chair. Puck eventually relented, leaving Kurt flushed and panting, trying to regain his breath from laughing.

"Agree that you don't need to listen to Sylvester's bullshit about having to lose weight," he threatened, and Kurt nodded helplessly, still breathing harshly.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop dieting, just don't tickle me again, you beast!" he retorted, thumping Puck on the chest.

"You guys are too cute. C'mon, dinner time, plate up," Quinn urged, bringing over three plates and a large bowl of tomato pasta. Puck ignored Kurt's blush and took a seat, grabbing one of the plates. He could get used to this.

.-.

"I should go home." Kurt's voice broke the silence, and both Puck and Quinn startled.

"What time is it?" Quinn asked, lifting her head from where it was resting against Puck's thigh.

"Nearly nine, my dad will be starting to worry. If he's managed to draw himself away from Finn for long enough," he added airily. Quinn frowned, having been filled in on the story.

"Want a ride home?" Puck asked, moving Quinn's head gently so he could stand, also displacing Kurt from his place curled into Puck's side by doing so.

"Please. I'll see you tomorrow, Quinn, thanks for dinner. It was delicious. And thank you for splitting the rocky road with me; I would have felt fat eating it all myself," he added with a grin. Quinn laughed, leaning up to give him a hug.

"Anytime. Come over again soon, yeah? It's nice to have someone other than Puck around, there's only so much macho I can handle," she joked. Kurt snickered, hugging her back before slipping his shoes back on.

"Sure thing. Have a nice evening," he called as he and Puck left, heading back out into the hallway. He waited for Puck to get his shoes and jacket on, before they both headed out into the chilly evening. Jogging to the car, Kurt got in, sighing as the door shut out the cold. Puck got in the other side, starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway.

They went the whole journey in silence, other than the radio playing quietly, both lost in thoughts. Puck wasn't sure what to think anymore; his whole view of the well-dressed enigma that was Kurt Hummel had been completely changed in the course of the evening. Kurt was actually great fun to hang around with when neither of them were putting on an act for the people around them. He, Kurt and Quinn had really enjoyed themselves watching TV and messing around all evening. He just felt… easy around Kurt. Like he could be himself and no one would care. He'd only ever had that with Quinn before, even he and Finn had been putting on airs around each other. But whatever _anyone_ said, he didn't find Kurt cute. Of course not. And he definitely hadn't wanted to lick the chocolate ice cream off when Kurt got some on the tip of his nose. No way.

Eventually, Puck pulled up outside Kurt's house, waiting on the road by the driveway. He didn't think it would be smart to go any closer. Kurt made no move to get out, and Puck didn't push him.

"Tonight was fun," he said after a while, glancing towards Kurt. The other teen's head was leant against the window, staring out absently.

"Yeah, it was. Thanks for having me over and everything. You didn't have to," Kurt replied, but Puck shook his head.

"Dude, I liked having you over. And you heard Quinn, she needs company that isn't me," he added, making him laugh.

"Still, I really appreciate it. Mercedes is stressing over the whole losing weight thing, and… I really needed a friend." Puck smiled back at him, running a hand over his mohawk.

"Anytime, dude. I know what it feels like to be ignored in favour of Finn Hudson," he replied wryly. Kurt made an annoyed face, then grinned at Puck.

"I suppose you do, yeah. Anyway, I'd better get going. Just… thanks." And then he did something that completely shocked Puck. He leant forward in his seat, and pressed soft lips against Puck's cheek. It was barely a moment, and he darted out of the car and down the driveway straight after, leaving a stunned Puck sat in his car, his fingers held gently to a tingling spot on his cheek.

.-.-.-.

"Okay, spill. What were you doing at Puck's last night? He's Puck!" Were Mercedes' first words to Kurt as he got into her car the next morning for school.

"Hello to you, too," he greeted pointedly, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't give me that. Answer my question!" she persisted. Kurt sighed, rearranging his sweater.

"I just went over to watch some TV, I didn't feel like going home, okay? It was nothing big. We didn't talk much or anything," he replied evasively. A complete lie, but he didn't feel like explaining everything to Mercedes. She had enough problems of her own without worrying about his. She raised an eyebrow at him skeptically.

"Really? And why didn't you come over to mine?" she questioned.

"Because you passed out at lunch and went home early?" he reminded her, and she frowned.

"Oh yeah. Still, dude, I didn't think you and Puck were friends," she said almost accusingly.

"Neither did I," he replied quietly. Mercedes couldn't get anything else about the previous evening out of him for the rest of the car ride.

When he got to school, Kurt was surprised at how friendly Puck and Quinn were being. He'd expected them to both go back to pretty much ignoring him, but they'd sat with him at lunch – Mercedes wasn't having any – and Puck had partnered up with him in Biology. However, all Kurt could think about was that kiss on the cheek he'd given Puck the night before. Puck hadn't said anything about it, or acted to acknowledge it in any way. He still had no idea why he'd done it… it just felt like a good idea at the time. Still, he hadn't been beaten up yet, so he took that as a good sign.

.-.-.

Glee that day was held at the roller rink, so after a short car-ride in which he got a ride with Mercedes, the Glee club was lacing up their skates and preparing for a bit of fun. Mr Schue had gone off to chat with April, leaving the kids to have a bit of fun amongst the crowd. Kurt skated past Jesse and Rachel, who were doing a sickeningly sweet arm-in-arm couple's skate, and grinned at Tina and Mercedes, who were sat out chatting with Artie. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he felt himself begin to fall backwards, only to be caught just before hitting the ground by a pair of strong, muscular arms. "Easy there, princess," came Puck's amused voice, and Kurt blushed, looking upwards into Puck's grinning face.

"Thanks," he replied embarrassedly, making Puck snicker. "Skating, apparently, isn't a talent of mine." His cheeks stayed red as Puck took his hands, turning to face him so he was skating backwards.

"You can dance but you can't skate?" Puck teased, and Kurt shot him a look.

"Shush."

"C'mon, I'll teach you. It's easy once you get going." Kurt found himself being pulled along by Puck, who was skating effortlessly in reverse. His feet were slightly wobbly, but with Puck guiding him, he managed to stay upright. "See, there. That's not so bad, is it?"

"If you let me fall, I'll castrate you," Kurt informed him in an offhand voice. Puck winced, and Quinn, who was skating past, laughed aloud.

"I won't let you fall, princess. Relax." Puck moved until he was beside Kurt, holding him up around the waist. Kurt figured he might as well call it a day and have a permanent redness to his cheeks with the amount of blushing Puck was making him do.

He was, unfortunately, all too aware of Puck's hands gripping his waist gently, the heat of his fingers searing his skin in a way that was far too comfortable. His mind, being that of a gay teenage boy, happily conjured up several scenarios in which Puck might have reason for gripping his waist, each more x-rated than the last. "I think I got it," he said quickly, trying to move away from Puck's grasp before the taller boy noticed something. However, this didn't go as planned, merely resulting with him falling flat on his ass, pulling Puck down with him. On top of him. Kurt's eyes widened comically, the breath being knocked out of him by the weight of Puck's chest pressing against his own. Puck's own eyes were large, before something dawned in them, and he smirked. "Is that a mic in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" he murmured, his breath hot against Kurt's cheek. Oh, fuck. Expecting to be called out, Kurt braced himself, only to find a hand gripping him by the elbow, pulling him to his feet. He looked in confusion towards Puck, who winked at him. "Dude, I'm hot. I'd be turned on if I were you," he explained with a shrug. Kurt snorted, some of his embarrassment fading now he knew it would stay between the two of them.

"That's because you've got an ego the size of Canada," he sniped, falling into his usual pattern of sarcasm and witty retorts. Puck didn't let it phase him, grinning wider.

"That's not the only thing big about me, princess," he retorted, laughing at Kurt's shocked face before skating off triumphantly. Kurt just scowled, skating on unsteady legs over to the side, sitting at the table with Artie and Tina. If it were anyone but Puck, he would have smacked him. Alas, it was Puck, so he could do nothing but sit and glare at him. Damn that boy.

.-.-.

"So when are you going to ask out Kurt?" Puck nearly choked on his soda, giving Quinn's innocent face a glare.

"Excuse me?" he spluttered, and Quinn giggled from her place lying on the couch, a plate of breadsticks and dip balanced on her baby bump.

"Come on, Puck, it's obvious you like him," she told him with a smile.

"I'm not gay," he said flatly, and she snorted.

"Sure. So you weren't cuddling with him last night before I came down?" she pointed out. Puck gave her a look.

"I wasn't 'cuddling'. I'm a badass, I don't cuddle. I always sit like that with girls, and he's practically a girl, so…"

"No, you always sit like that with girls when you're trying to get with them," she corrected. Puck growled at her; he wasn't gay! Even if Kurt was cute when he was angry, and did feel insanely awesome pinned underneath him… he wasn't gay. "Listen, Puck, it's okay if you have feelings for Kurt. He's funny, sweet, and totally cute-"

"And a dude," Puck cut in sharply. Quinn shrugged, her blonde hair falling in a halo around her head.

"Who cares? Sure, you'll get some assholes who'll give you crap for it, but when you get out of Lima – because you will get out of Lima – you'll realise most people really couldn't care less. Besides; you're Puck, you're badass. No one's gonna mess with you even if you wear a dress to school," she added with a grin. Puck snorted softly, but didn't answer. Him and Kurt? He got a sudden mental image of walking through the school hallways holding hands with Kurt – it didn't bring up the feelings of disgust like he thought it would. Then he remembered, not for the first time, how it had felt to have Kurt's body underneath his earlier at the roller rink. For such a small guy, he had a hell of a lot of muscle on him, Puck felt it.

Puck notice his jeans had become suspiciously tight and groaned loudly, letting his head fall back against the couch. "Quinn? I think I might be gay," he told her, cracking open one eye to see her getting to her feet, an empty plate in her hands. She giggled, patting him on the shoulder as she passed.

"If it's any consolation, I think you and Kurt would be totally hot together. And he can teach our little girl all about fashion and looking awesome," she added with a grin, patting her baby bump lightly and leaving the room.

"Oh, fuck."

.-.-.-.

Puck was woken up by the sound of retching from the bathroom and leapt out of bed, still half asleep, cursing whoever's bright idea it was to give pregnant chicks morning sickness. Holding back Quinn's hair, he gently rubbed her back as she got it all out of her system, waiting until she was finished before filling a glass of water from the tap, passing it to the girl. "Thanks," she croaked, using the water to wash her mouth out, then spitting it back into the toilet. Puck waited patiently until she could stand, then helped her back into her room.

"You okay?" he checked, and she nodded, colour starting to return to her cheeks.

"Yeah, just need to eat something. You busy today?" she asked, and he shook his head. "You think you could drive me to the mall?"

"That depends; do I have to go shopping with you?" he asked warily, and she laughed.

"Nah, not this time. Mercedes asked me to ask all the Cheerios except for Kurt to get together; she wants to suggest something for Monday's pep rally. We're meeting at noon," she explained. Puck raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why not Kurt?" he questioned suspiciously, feeling a little annoyed that Kurt's best friend would leave him out like that.

"Kurt and Mercedes had a falling out a few days ago over the whole losing weight thing. I guess they haven't completely made up yet," she reasoned. Puck shrugged, nodding.

"Yeah, sure, I'll drive you down. Aretha usually has some pretty good ideas; who knows, could be fun." Quinn beamed, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks, you're awesome. I'll let you know when I'm ready to leave," she told him, and he nodded, leaving her to get dressed in peace. Going back to his own room to change out of his boxers and wife beater and into actual clothes, he mused on what Mercedes was planning; it had to be big, and he had a feeling it would be pretty damn awesome, too.

.-.-.

Puck scowled, sitting on a bench alone in the mall, a half-eaten burger in his hand. The Cheerios had shoved him out of their planning room – the girl's changing room in one of the big department stores – so he was stuck here doing nothing. And he was bored. He didn't even feel like going to pick on the 8th graders on the food court. What was wrong with him?

He pulled out his phone, absently scrolling down his contacts list for someone to text. He knew that if he text Santana, it would only lead to sexting, and after his little revelation of last night, that didn't appeal to him that much any more. He reached Kurt's name and hesitated a little, before typing out a quick message. _'Hey, I'm bored. Wuu2?'_ Taking another bite of his burger, he waited for a reply, smiling slightly when his phone buzzed in his hand.

 _'History essay :(. You?'_ Puck winced sympathetically; history was a bitch.

 _'Ouch :/ At the mall, Quinn has a girl thing.'_ He figured that was vague enough that Kurt would get suspicious. He felt uneasy about having to keep a secret from him, but Mercedes was scary when she was angry. Finishing off his burger, he got to his feet, wandering aimlessly in the direction of the arcade. Maybe he could take out some of his anger on the video games. If he remembered, he still had the high score on a few of them.

 _'Aww, you feeling left out? ;) Go shop, it's what a mall is for.'_ That made Puck snort, a small grin on his face as he typed back his reply.

 _'Your thing, princess, not mine. How goes the homework?'_ Reaching the arcade, a well-placed glare scared the 7th graders off of his favorite game, and he slid a quarter into the slot, waiting for the screen to load. It was weird being at the arcade alone; usually he was with Finn or one of the other guys.

_'It was going fine, until you distracted me :P'_

_'Want me to leave you alone?'_ Puck text back with a slight frown, leaving his phone on the edge of the game console as he started playing, blasting zombies out from behind cars and doors. His phone buzzed a few moments later, but he ignored it, waiting until he'd completed the level.

 _'No, it's cool. I don't mind :) Found something to do yet?'_ Puck smiled slightly, the fact that Kurt didn't mind him texting him making him weirdly happy.

 _'Arcade games. Quinn should be done soon, anyway. They've been in there for two hours :/'_ he replied after a quick glance at his watch. Just how long was Mercedes' plan, anyway? His phone vibrated once more, and when he picked it up this time it was Quinn, not Kurt.

 _'Where are you? We're done x'_ About time! Abandoning his game, he typed a quick reply back to her, only for his phone to go almost immediately after with a message from Kurt.

 _'Oh, you poor thing :P I gtg, dad needs help in the shop :/ See you Monday?'_ Feeling a slight sense of loss at not being able to text Kurt, he sent back a short reply, spotting Quinn up ahead. "Hey," he greeted with a smile, "everything sorted with the Cheerios?" he asked. Quinn was beaming and nodded, looping her arm thorough his as they walked.

"Yeah, it's gonna be so awesome! And before you ask, no, I can't tell you what it is. You're going to have to wait till Monday just like everyone else," she told him, a smug grin on her lips. He bumped her shoulder, shooting her a glare.

"Spoilsport."

.-.-.-.

Monday afternoon found Puck sat in the gym a little behind Quinn, the whole school in the room due to some suspiciously timed fumigation. Still, Puck had a feeling the Cheerios would want everyone in there for their little show; Quinn promised him it would be good. The chatter died as the Cheerios walked silently into the gym, taking center stage with their backs to the audience. Puck would deny using the opportunity to stare at Kurt's ass, even when faced with Quinn's knowing looks. He frowned when he realised Mercedes wasn't there, though, and raised an eyebrow as she walked in separately, taking the mic. As she spoke, and people began to put their hands up, Puck thought he had an idea of what they were doing. He had to admire her for that; standing up and admitting those things in front of the school was brave, especially when she was going against Sue Sylvester's wishes to do so. Seeing Quinn sat unashamedly with her hand up, Puck tentatively raised his hand, gaining a small smile from Mercedes. Then she began to sing, and his mind was blown. He'd always known she had an amazing voice, but Mr Schu always tended to give female parts to Rachel, never really giving any of the other girls to showcase their talent. Mercedes was in her element, and Puck smiled as Quinn stood to join her, joining in as the rest of the Cheerios turned round and began to sing backing. Puck's eyes zeroed in on Kurt, ignoring the people walking past his line of vision to join the group singing. The soprano was still standing with his back turned to the audience, his head hung and his eyes shut tightly. Puck frowned, getting a clenching feeling in his gut. That wasn't right. Kurt should have been right there next to her, singing his soul out about being beautiful and not taking shit from people, because that was exactly what he did every day. Kurt Hummel didn't take shit; he accepted it, but he didn't let it get to him. He still acted how he wanted, wore what he wanted, and said what he wanted, even when he got beaten up for it.

Getting to his feet, Puck started making his way towards the group, and Quinn beamed at him, gesturing for him to take a spot beside her with the other glee club members. He shook his head, gesturing behind her to Kurt, and she gained a look of understanding, just grinning wider and singing louder. Weaving his way through the crowd to stand behind Kurt, he placed his hands on the smaller boy's hips, feeling him jump at the sudden movement. Leaning down until his lips were just barely brushing the shell of Kurt's ear, he smirked. "Loosen up and dance, princess," he breathed, using his hands to make the teen sway on the spot. Kurt turned his head, only ending up further in Puck's arms, and Puck winked at him. Moving Kurt until they were standing opposite each other, Puck's hands still on Kurt's waist, in plain view of the rest of the school, as the group singing was still quite small, Puck just smiled at the confused boy, opening his mouth to sing along with Mercedes. "Cuz you are beautiful, no matter what they say! Words can't bring you down." Kurt's eyes widened as Puck sang, the footballer's eyes never leaving his. Puck just grinned at him; he knew it was pretty much social suicide to be doing this in front of the whole school, but he didn't care. Kurt was upset, and he hated it when Kurt was upset. "C'mon, princess. Smile. You're gorgeous when you smile, babe," he said quietly, but loud enough for Kurt to hear. Kurt gaped at him, and bracing himself mentally, Puck took the chance to lean forward, bringing his arms fully around Kurt's waist and pressing their lips together. Fuck, that felt good. As Kurt got past his shock and began to kiss back, Puck eased him into it, the loud singing around them ignored as Kurt's lips parted for him, a hand gripping the back of his sweater. Puck didn't know if Hummel had much experience, but he was a damn good kisser anyway. Uncaring of the fact that half the school was probably staring at them in shock, the two kept on kissing, Puck's hand coming up to tangle in Kurt's hair. Eventually, they had to breathe, and Puck pulled away, lust-darkened eyes meeting Kurt's. "Fuck, that was hot. Go out with me?" he asked breathlessly, knowing it was now or never. Kurt's eyes widened once he realised Puck was actually serious, and then he beamed.

"Only if you promise to do that to me at least once a day," he replied, making Puck laugh. He wrapped an arm tighter around Kurt's waist, pulling him into his side and turning to join the rest of the glee club, not acknowledging the stunned looks on peoples' faces.

"Oh, I think I can handle that, babe," he whispered in Kurt's ear, pressing a kiss to his neck before straightening up. Taking a place between Mike and Quinn, the new couple joined in with the singing, belting out the words in an easy harmony with the others. Mike clapped Puck on the shoulder, breaking his line to wolf whistle playfully, and Quinn squeezed Kurt around the shoulders in a quick hug.

As Mercedes brought the song to an end and the school broke out into wild cheers and applause, Puck leant down to give Kurt another kiss, shorter than the last one. It was probably the most insane way he'd ever gotten together with someone, and he wasn't entirely sure how it even happened, but he wasn't going to argue. They were being stared at, Puck knew, but glancing down at Kurt's beaming face and remembering that super-hot kiss, he decided he really didn't care. He was Noah Puckerman, he was badass. And his boyfriend was a hell of a lot hotter than half of their girlfriends. They'd seen Kurt in that black leotard doing the single ladies dance, they knew his boyfriend was smokin'. Besides, Kurt was totally worth risking his reputation for.


End file.
